Saving Mary
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: For years, she had refused to let anyone get too close to her fragile heart, but without even trying, Marshall had accomplished that impossible feat. He had managed to find his way pasted her defenses, into her well-protected heart, without her even realizing it until he was already there.


A songfic that I've been wanting to write for a while, using Brantley Gilbert's Saving Amy (changed to Saving Mary). It took all day to write this, but I'm happy with the ending, and I would definitely recommend listening to the song while reading this. This is a massive tearjerker, with several major character deaths. You've been warned. But there is a happy ending, so read on and enjoy.

Disclaimer: Really, really, really not mine!

* * *

Marshall Mann smiled softly as he watched his partner and best friend move around her kitchen. She had never been much of a cook, but she was getting better at it.

After a few minutes, he slowly made his way around the living room. Jinx and Brandi had moved out over a year ago, after Mary practically forced them to find places and jobs of their own. They wound up living together in a spacious apartment fifteen minutes away, a fact that Mary celebrated.

He smiled softly as he looked at the walls. There used to be pictures of Mary, Brandi and Jinx on the walls, but now there were pictures of himself and Mary, and different awards and honors that they had each received.

His jacket hung with hers on the coat rack by the front door, along with their empty holsters. His shoes were lined up next to hers on the floor.

Taking his time, he wandered down the hall. More pictures lined the walls, and he couldn't help noticing that most of them were of him.

He stepped into her bedroom, the bedroom they shared, and glanced around. A few of his shirts hung alongside hers in the closet, and a bottle of his cologne sat on her dresser. They hadn't officially moved in together, but he'd been working on it. He didn't want to rush her into anything she wasn't ready for.

There was a letter sitting on her night stand, beside a framed picture of the two of them. They looked so happy, and he recognized it as having been taken by Stan. Stan had an uncanny ability to catch great moments on film, and this was one of them. Marshall was sitting at his desk, and Mary was standing beside him, one hand on his shoulder as she used the other to point at the computer screen. But Marshall wasn't looking at the screen. Instead he was looking at Mary, his expression one of adoration.

With a sad sigh, he walked out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen, where Mary was still cooking dinner. He stopped beside her and looked at the diamond ring on her left hand. When she had accepted his proposal, he had half-expected her to shove it into her pocket, tucked out of sight. Just as she had done with Raphael. But much to his surprise and joy, she had put it on her left hand, and he had never been happier.

_Mary's got the letters I wrote_

_My picture in a frame_

_She's had a year to let go_

_She's still wearing my ring_

His eyes misted as he remembered that night. He had bought the ring weeks before he actually proposed, and he had agonized over how to ask her. But in the end, it hadn't mattered, because he had pulled it out one night after work, while they were sitting in his truck.

"Mare, I need to ask you something."

"If it's 'Can I stay over tonight?', yes. But only if you brought the chocolate."

_He laughed, but there was a nervous twinge to it._ "No, no, not that. Although I would like to spend the night…" _He had learned early on never to ask for more than she was ready to give. They were going at her pace, which he was perfectly happy with._

_His hand slid into his pocket, and his fingers closed around the ring before he withdrew it and offered it to her._

_Mary's eyes widened noticeably at the sight of the understated but beautiful diamond ring. Tasteful, sweet…exactly what she would have expected from him._

"Mary, you're my best friend…everything to me. I want to be your husband-"

_Before he could continue his speech, she leaned over and kissed him deeply, once again sending him spinning._

_When they finally broke apart, he whispered_, "Is that a yes?"

_She laughed and kissed him again_. "Yes, Doofus. It's a yes."

Coming back to the present, he watched as Mary absently twisted the engagement ring on her finger.

That night had been the most important night of his life up to that point. His best friend had agreed to marry him, and he counted himself the luckiest man in the entire world because she had said yes.

Mary picked up a knife and began slicing carrots, and Marshall watched her intently. She was so beautiful, his exotic animal. He leaned against the counter and studied her face. She had been sleeping too little lately, and the lines around her mouth were more apparent lately. But he didn't care. She was absolutely stunning.

Suddenly she stopped slicing, and the grip she had on the knife loosened.

"Marshall…"

_It hasn't left her finger_

_Since the night that I proposed_

_When I promised her forever_

_Before I took her home_

A sharp pain went through his heart when she whispered his name. The night that he proposed, they had been so happy. They had stayed in his truck for a while, just kissing and touching, before they finally started the drive back to Mary's home.

Mary was happier than he had ever seen her, and it made Marshall proud knowing that he had made her that happy.

They were halfway home when it started to rain. Marshall was used to driving in almost any weather condition, so the rain didn't bother him.

He didn't see the truck until it was too late. He heard Mary screams combine with the sound of shattering glass and squealing tires as the truck hit Marshall's side. Pain exploded through his body, and the last thing he heard was Mary screaming his name over and over as everything imploded around him.

"Marshall!"

When he had opened his eyes again, he was standing in a hospital room. For one brief second, he had thought that somehow, everything was okay.

Then he saw Mary in the hospital bed a few feet away, sobbing softly. Stan was standing beside her, his hand on her arm and a helpless expression on his face.

In that moment, Marshall knew things would never be okay again.

_But I never made it home that night_

_A part of her died, too_

_I've watched her losing her mind_

_And there's nothing I can do_

The sound of Mary whispering his name again pulled him from his memories, and he watched her with sad eyes.

"Marshall."

He wanted nothing more than to be able to reach out and take her into his arms, to hold her and promise her that everything was going to be okay.

It had been a year since he had died in that accident, and in that time, he had never left her side. She had been in the hospital for three days before she was discharged. Even though he had lost his life, he was thankful that Mary had walked away from the accident with little more than a concussion and a couple of fractured ribs.

Mary sighed miserably and picked up the knife again, her hand trembling. The glint of her engagement ring on her left hand caught her attention, and fresh tears welled up in her eyes. It had been a year since the accident that took Marshall from her, and she was nowhere near over it. She had been in the truck with him. How had she walked away with a concussion and broken ribs, and Marshall hadn't walked away at all? How the hell was that fair?

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Damn it, Marshall… This wasn't supposed to happen!" she whispered, her voice catching in her throat.

He watched her with an intense sadness. "I know, Mare. It wasn't." They should have had a life together, everything he had dreamed of since he had first laid eyes on her.

Lifting the knife higher, she studied the blade intently. Even at the worst, lowest points in her life, she had never contemplated suicide. But in the year that had passed since she lost Marshall, not a day had gone by when she didn't consider it at some point. It would be so much easier than trying to live without him and pretending that she was actually_ living_. All she had to do was press that blade against her wrist, and she would be with Marshall again.

Marshall recognized the look on her face, and he felt sick. "Don't do it, Mare," he whispered. "Please, not this way."

She ran her thumb along the blade, lightly applying pressure.

"Mary…"

The knife suddenly slipped from her hand, and with a heartbroken sob, Mary slid to the floor and cried. "Oh, God, Marshall…"

He knelt down beside her, wanting desperately to be able to reassure her, but knowing that there was nothing he could do to help the woman he loved. He would give anything just to be able to tell her that everything was going to be okay, that he still loved her, even if he was no longer with her.

"I'm so sorry, Mary."

_Sometimes she goes crazy_

_Screaming out my name_

_Saying, "Baby, please come save me."_

_I wish she knew I'd do anything_

The tears fell down her face in a torrent, and she didn't even try to wipe them away as she leaned back against the cabinet and drew her legs up to her chest. For years, she had refused to let anyone get too close to her fragile heart, but without even trying, Marshall had accomplished that impossible feat. With his goofy smile, his endless amount of trivial information, and the way he said her name, he had managed to find his way pasted her defenses, into her well-protected heart, without her even realizing it until he was already there.

Marshall sat down in front of her, his hand extended toward her. He knew that he couldn't touch her, but that didn't stop him from trying. God, he missed being able to touch her, to hold her and love her in the darkest depths of the night. He would have given anything just to be able to kiss her one more time.

Her chest constricted as she sobbed Marshall's name over and over again. He had been gone for a year, but every breath she took was painful because it reminded her that he wasn't there.

He hated seeing her in such pain, but at least she had lived. He wouldn't have been able to live if she was the one who died in that wreck. "I'm so sorry, Mary…"

Finally her sobs eased, and as she wiped the tears away from her face, she tried to calm her aching heart.

"Marshall…"

There was no response, just as she knew there wouldn't be. And she felt her heart shatter all over again.

_To kiss the tears right off her face_

_Tell her everything's okay_

_Feel her heart beat next to mine_

_And make up for lost time_

_Oh, but God, I know I can't_

_But you can't let her live this way_

_It's too late for saving me_

_But there's still hope for saving Mary_

Three more years passed, and one day Marshall found himself watching Mary as she sat in her sister's home and played with her young niece and nephew. Brandi had married Peter a few months after Marshall died, and in the four years since then, she had given birth to a beautiful baby girl named Adena, and just a few months ago, a little boy named Collin. Mary loved her niece and nephew; that was obvious to Marshall. And to almost everyone around her, it seemed like she was finally moving past his death. The only person who knew better was Stan.

During that first year after his death, Stan had tried to partner with several other marshals. Needless to say, it had been a spectacular failure. And shortly after the one year anniversary of Marshall's death, she had handed her badge and gun in. It hadn't come as a surprise to anyone, really. Before Marshall, she had never worked well with partners, and without him, it was downright impossible. So she quit the marshal service and found another job that didn't give her as much joy, but then again, she hadn't experienced real joy since Marshall had been alive.

The small amount of happiness that she did manage to find was in spending time with her niece and nephew. There had been a small part of her that wanted children, but that longing was extinguished with Marshall's death. So she contented herself with loving her sister's children like her own.

Marshall felt the longing she had for her own child, and he was equally sad and grateful. He wouldn't have wanted to leave her with his child to raise alone, but if he had, maybe she would finally be able to move on. As it was, she was stuck in the past, even if she was starting to live life again.

Mary sat down on the couch with Collin in her arms, and she glanced around the spacious living room. God, she missed Marshall.

Squealing, Adena ran to her aunt and scrambled onto the couch with her, clutching a doll tightly to her chest. "Aun' Mary!"

"What is it, rugrat?"

"Collin is a boy," the three year old declared disdainfully.

Mary had to laugh. "Yes, he is. Did you want a sister?"

"Yeah!"

Brandi came into the room. "Is she complaining that Collin is a boy again?" she asked lightly.

"Of course."

"Great. Come on, Addie." Brandi lifted her daughter into her arms and settled her on her hip. "Time for your nap."

"No!"

"Yes."

"Have a nice nap, little diva."

Adena continued to fight her mother, reminding Mary of how Brandi had been when she was three years old. She looked down at Collin, who stared back at her with wide eyes.

God, she wished Marshall was there with her.

_Now three years have gone by_

_She's finally living life_

_And I still watch her sometimes_

_Just to make sure she's alright_

Mary went home a few hours later, gently refusing Brandi's offer to let her stay in their guest room for the night. Tonight was going to be one of those nights. She would go home, change into one of Marshall's shirts, and curl up in bed with a bottle of whiskey and a photo album.

Once she was home, she removed her shoes and wandered around the house for a while, just looking at the pictures of Marshall she had on the wall. Many of the candid shots were taken by Stan, who was quite adept with a camera and loved sneaking up on his favorite marshals.

After Marshall's death, she hadn't been able to look at those pictures without breaking down completely, and after his funeral, she had boxed them all up and locked them away, out of sight. It was almost a year before she finally felt strong enough to put them back on the walls, in their rightful places.

The nights and early mornings were the hardest. Sometimes she would wake up, and in those first few moments caught between sleep and awareness, she would reach out to touch Marshall. It was like a knife in her heart all over again when she realized he wasn't there.

With a sigh, Mary went into her kitchen and opened the cabinet above the fridge, where she kept her alcohol. But as her fingertips brushed one of the bottles, she hesitated.

"No."

Shaking her head, she withdrew her hand and closed the door again. Then she went down the hall, stopping in the bathroom long enough to brush her teeth before she went into her bedroom.

Even after four years, she could still smell him in the room. Had he been there, he would have laughed and told her that smell was the strongest trigger for memory that there was.

She could almost hear his voice in her ear as she changed into one of his shirts and crawled into bed. Before he had started sharing her bed, she had slept wherever she pleased. But once he joined her, the left side became known as his, and the right side was hers. Even now, years later, she still slept on the right side, leaving the left side empty. The thought of sleeping with anyone else hadn't even crossed her mind, much less bringing another man into the bed that she considered theirs.

Grabbing her pillow, she hit it a few times before tucking it under her head. Her eyes settled on the framed picture of Marshall that sat on her nightstand.

"Good night, Marshall."

Marshall sat down beside her on the bed. "Good night, Mary," he whispered back to her, knowing she couldn't hear him but needing to say the words anyway. He had promised her that he would always be there for her, and when he made a promise, not even death would stop him.

_She knows I'll always be there_

_In her heart and in her dreams_

_Cause God I promised her forever_

_And that's one promise I intend to keep_

She fell asleep after a while, her breathing growing deep and even. Marshall continued to watch her, hoping that whatever she was dreaming, she was happy.

He didn't keep track of time, but a little while later, Mary shifted her hips and called out in her sleep.

"Marshall…"

With a soft sound of comfort, he reached out and brushed his fingertips lightly against his cheek. The only time she seemed to sense his presence was when she was asleep. "I'm here, Mare. Everything's okay."

Slowly she settled down again, her breathing evening out.

He continued to watch her intently. When he was alive, he had been open to so much. He wasn't stupid enough to believe that out of all the galaxies, universes and stars, Earth had the only life on it. And he didn't believe that when you died, there was nothing. He wasn't sure of what would be out there, but now he knew.

For him, it was Mary.

_And kiss the tears right off her face_

_Tell her everything's okay_

_Feel her heart beat next to mine_

_And make up for lost time_

_Oh, but God, I know I can't_

_But you can't let her live this way_

_It's too late for saving me_

_But there's still hope for saving Mary_

A couple of months later, Marshall followed Mary as she went to her sister's home and had dinner. She hadn't been feeling well, and he could feel it as well. But what exactly was wrong with her, he didn't know. And it made him nervous.

After dinner, Mary helped Brandi do the dishes and put the kids to bed. It was late, and she was already exhausted, so she didn't argue with her sister about whether or not she would stay the night. She washed her hands and face, told Brandi good night, then went into the guest room and sat down on the bed. She was feeling worse, and she attributed it to a rough few days at work and not enough sleep.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a picture of Marshall that she had taken to carrying with her. Brandi had tried to tell her it was unhealthy; it had been four years, she should have been able to move on by now. But Mary ignored her. She would never truly get over Marshall. The best she could hope for was to be able to get through the day without falling apart entirely.

Marshall watched her sadly, noticing how she ran her finger lovingly over his picture. "Mary…"

Sighing, she reverently placed the picture aside. Then she slid between the sheets and rested her head on the pillow, closing her eyes.

He sat down beside her, not wanting to be far from her for some reason.

It wasn't long before he knew exactly what that reason was.

* * *

Before going to her own bedroom, Brandi went into the guest room to check on her sister. Mary had fallen asleep with the light on, so Brandi could see her sister's face. Brandi's stomach churned as she realized that something was very wrong.

"Mary?" She hurried over to the bed and sat down, reaching out to gently shake her older sister. "Mary, open your eyes."

There was no response from her sister, and after another failed attempt to rouse her, Brandi grabbed her phone and called 911.

* * *

An hour later, Brandi was in tears as she sat with her mom and held her hand tightly. The ambulance had arrived just a few minutes after she called 911, and Mary was whisked away without an explanation as to why she hadn't regained consciousness.

Brandi was fairly certain that she knew why, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. To her, Mary was invincible, Superwoman. Nothing could take her down…nothing.

But when she saw the solemn faced doctor approach her and Jinx, her worst fears were confirmed.

"Oh, Mary…"

* * *

When Mary opened her eyes again, she was shocked to find herself sitting on a beach. The sand beneath her was warm, and the stunning blue of the water was entrancing. Slowly she stood up, still not sure what had happened. The last thing she remembered, she was lying in her sister's guest bedroom.

She looked down at herself. Never one for bikinis, she realized that she was wearing a white one piece with one shoulder. The sun was pleasant on her skin, and for the first time in far too long, she felt a sense of peace.

A shell close to her feet caught her attention. She leaned down and picked it up, turning it over in her hands. Marshall would have loved it…

A few yards away, Marshall watched as Mary leaned down and picked up another seashell. She hadn't realized what had happened to her yet, but he knew the moment that it happened, because he found himself here. His existence continued only for her, which was the truth. Without her, his tie to the mortal realm had been severed. So he waited patiently, content to watch her.

Slowly she became aware of someone watching her, and finally she turned around, the seashells falling from her hands.

"Marshall…"

He smiled at her adoringly, and within moments, she closed the distance between them and flung her arms around him.

"Oh, God, Marshall…" She held him as tightly as she possibly could. "You're here…"

He kissed the side of her head and returned her tight embrace. "Yes, I am." He finally had her in his arms again, and once more he felt complete.

When she could finally bring herself to pull away, she looked up at him. "What happened?"

"The doctors said heart failure. You should have taken better care of yourself," he chastised gently.

She hit him solidly in the chest and relished her ability to do so once more. "You should have been there with me!" she shot back.

"I was," he murmured. "I never left you, Mare."

"You know what I mean." She hugged him again and rested her head against his chest. She had missed him so much, and apparently it had been the end of her. But if it meant that she was with him again, she was okay with that.

Marshall rested his head against hers and sighed contently. Now that they were together again, nothing would ever pull them apart.

"What are you thinking, Marshall?"

He let out a slow breath. "I'm thinking…that it's been too long since you've had a swim."

Before she could react, Marshall scooped Mary up in her arms and ran toward the water.

"Marshall, don't you dare!"

He just laughed and unceremoniously dumped her into the water.

She came back up sputtering, but before she could yell at him, he grabbed her and kissed her deeply, pulling her firmly against his own body. As they kissed, she wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his thick hair, something that she had missed doing.

When they finally broke apart, Marshall rested his forehead against Mary's and smiled tenderly. His hand came up and gently brushed her hair back. "I love you, Mary." He gently kissed her forehead.

She smiled and ran her hands over Marshall's chest. "I love you too, Marshall." Her words were spoken with adoration and a sense of once more being where she belonged.

Their lips met once more, and they reveled in the knowledge that they were together again, never again to be torn apart.

_I'll kiss the tears right off her face_

_When I walk her through these gates_

_Feel her heart beat next to mine_

_And make up for lost time_

_And God, I thank you every day_

_For giving her that ounce of faith_

_That lead her right back here to me_

_But most of all, for saving Mary_

Brandi sniffled as she sat down and hugged her children.

Congestive heart failure. That was what the doctors called it. Her heart had simply given out. But Brandi knew the truth. Losing Marshall had devastated Mary, and in the end, she had died of a broken heart. If her sister was alive, she would pretend to be disgusted.

She laid her children down for the night, then wandered back into the living room and picked up a picture of Mary and Marshall. Congestive heart failure, a broken heart…whatever it was, at least she was with Marshall again. Brandi wasn't so clueless that she couldn't see how badly Marshall's death had crushed Mary. Her belief that they were finally reunited took some of the pain away, and she smiled through her tears.

"Tell Marshall I said hi," she whispered. She kissed the picture, then put it away before she went to find her husband.

"Take care of each other."

_Saving Mary_

_Thank you, God, for saving Mary_

The End.

A/N: Aww... *sniffle* This was largely inspired by the look on Mary's face at the end of Trojan Horst, and her subsequent meltdown. It was just so heartbreaking, seeing her fall apart with Jinx, even though by that point she probably knew he would pull through. She needs Marshall, even if she would never admit it. I honestly think that she would lose it if she lost him, and the same for him if he lost her. Maybe I'll explore that next... *evil laughter* Hope everyone enjoyed this. Also, the poll is still up at my profile, so make sure to stop by and vote! Thanks for reading, and please review!


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